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YOUTH SPORTS: Keep kids in multiple sports

By TOM KUYPER, For Public Opinion

Updated:
11/05/2012 06:48:30 PM EST

Dear Tom,

I have a 10-year-old grandson who is a pretty fair athlete, and he plays most of the sports pretty well. I think this is a good idea. The problem is that when he competes against players that play their sport almost exclusively, he is at a disadvantage because many of the other players spend all their time at "their sport," and he divides his time among many sports. I don't think he should specialize at such a young age, but he could get discouraged when competing against these players.

Any thoughts?

- Bob in Phoenix

This continues to become one of those questions that I get asked over and over again, and the answer is not as easy as it was even 10 years ago. We are facing a changing youth sports culture. It seems that there are more kids now specializing at an earlier age than ever before. I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

When do you change or adjust your decisions and the advice you give to others? Do you stick to your old philosophy and never give in, or change even if it has a negative effect on the kids, just for the sake of standing tall and unshakable? Or do you adjust, never lacking integrity, modify the game plan and move forward with a slightly different plan for the good of the kids?

Even if you don't like something doesn't mean that it can't be given a chance to work or maybe evaluated with an open mind and heart.

Those of you who know me and are familiar my many years of teaching know that I am not a fan of kids specializing.

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I love the idea of a "well-rounded athlete" - one who has benefited from all the disciplines of other sports. They benefit so much from what the other sports have to offer:

- Learning how to be flexible and adjust more easily because each sport presents different strategies that teach you how to be creative in different kinds of circumstances and situations.

- Training the body to move in a wide range of motions. There is a strong "carry-over" effect that kids gain when they train their bodies in different sports. Their muscular development is often more advanced than kids who have concentrated on only one sport. In other words, a kid who plays soccer learns and develops good foot speed and coordination that will positively impact him when he plays basketball. That list could go on and on.

- There is social development that occurs because they get to meet new and different friends. They get to have the influence (hopefully more positive than negative) from other coaches and adults.

- They develop mentally as each sport presents different rules and game strategies that can not only be a positive thing in their development immediately, but also have long-term benefits as well.

The benefits of playing multiple sports can go on and on.

But we can't turn our heads or ignore the way that youth sports has changed in this area. Parents are really trying to create an advantage for their kids by playing one sport and fine-tuning that sport to gain a competitive edge, and it may be to stay one step ahead the others.

The hopes of a more successful high school experience and/or "every parent's dream" of getting a college scholarship are motivating factors.

Providing your kids with a positive experience and giving them self-confidence can be a by-product from being good in a sport.

I get all of this, I really do.

It is hard to deny that it can be noticeable in those kids that play a sport year round.

So what do we do now?

Some quick thoughts:

- Can the kids take at least one season off from their main sport each year to play another sport? Can they rotate that second sport each year so that they can keep playing and trying new sports?

- Can they keep practicing their primary sport on their own (I realize this may take some extra time) while playing in other sports? This is where parents can take the extra time with their kids to shoot baskets together, play some catch in the backyard or go to the park and kick the soccer ball around.

- Can they keep playing multiple sports and know that many of the "specializing" kids will get burnt out, bored, lose interest and end up quitting anyway?

- Can they keep playing multiple sports and get the extra help and time from parents to practice and develop the proper body mechanics for that sport?

- Can they keep playing and trying and be introduced to multiple sports until they find one that they really like the most?

I say, "Keep them in multiple sports as long as you can." This strategy will eventually pay off in whichever sport he or she finds they loves the most. Remember that youth sports are to enrich kids lives, not to add stress. Go with the original idea of youth sports: FUN!

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If you have questions or comments for Tom Kuyper, e-mail him at tomkuyper@kidsandsports.com.

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